Except twice that we grazed, once at Gerardstown on Sunday, and again Monday morning, on the Maryland side, after fording the Potomac, our horses had nothing from Saturday at daybreak, and our men nothing until the evening of Monday, except what bread, mild, and pie they picked up hastily on the road.

We marched from Strasburg Saturday at 5 p. m., and moved before halting that night 18 miles. From dawn on Sunday we moved, say, 11 miles, to Winchester, and 37 to Cherry Run Ford, making on Sunday 48 miles. On Monday we marched to Clear Spring, 7 miles; on Tuesday to Williamsport, 11 miles-in all, 84 miles.

The number of men that came in with us was not ascertained, any further than that there were 250 of the First Vermont Cavalry, 65 of General Banks' body guard, and some from the First Maine, First Virginia, First Maryland, First Michigan, and Eighth New York Cavalry, of the Fifth Connecticut and Tenth Maine Infantry, four companies of the Fifth New York Cavalry, some sutlers, telegraph operators, and wagoners, one of the Signal Corps, and some of the First Maryland Artillery.*

Three of the 35 wagons I was obliged to abandon on the road; the remaining 32 I brought in, with an unknown quantity of Government stores.

I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant,

O. DE FOREST,

Colonel Fifth New York Cavalry.

General HATCH.

Numbers 19. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. Babbitt, Eighth New York Cavalry, of operations May 24-25.

HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH NEW YORK CAVALRY,
Williamsport, Md., May 29, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that in obedience to orders received from Colonel Dixon S. Miles, Second Infantry, U. S. Army, commanding railroad brigade, upon the 24th of May I marched five companies of my command to Winchester, for the purpose of relieving Colonel Beal, Tenth Maine. The command reached Winchester at 6 p. m., and was reported to Colonel Beal by Captain Pope, senior captain. Owing to delay of the train I did not arrive until 9 p. m. Captain Pope's company guarded a wagon train during the night. Early in the morning I inquired for orders, and learned simply that the men were to be ready to fall in at a moment's notice. The command was drawn up in front of Our House upon the main street for about an hour,when I saw our artillery and cavalry passing through the town, apparently upon the retreat. I marched by the left up the main street, receiving fire from the houses as I rose the hill and from the enemy in the rear. The me kept the ranks and marched in good order, column en route, until we reached the plain north of the town, when we received the fire of the enemy's skirmishers upon our left, and were thrown into some confusion. The men quickly formed again and proceeded some

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*More properly Battery F, Pennsylvania Light Artillery.

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